How do you get a screw loose! ;D -- Powder Coated leg screws stuck MET

[Pinsanity]

Powder Coated leg screws stuck MET

It's been stuck so I never messed with it but the pitch is stuck at about 8 degrees which is a bit high but still fun. WD-40 did nothing, guessing the powder coatis caked in the threads but won't dislodge. Even tried vice grips and a wrench on the other side and couldn't get it to budge. Only the two back legs screws are stuck.

[k7]

who installed the legs?

powdercoat shouldn't affect that, if they were able to be screwed on. now, if they stripped the plate, different story.

i'd contact stern, tell them the issue to see if they will send you another plate and a bolt(s), just in case the below procedure screws you up.

if it works, i accept paypal. if it doesn't, i never suggested any of this.



pb blaster inside on the exposed threads, and a bit outside where the bolt head meets the cabinet. let sit, and try a larger socket wrench for torque, with a properly supported cabinet.

you can try to tighten a hair if it doesn't want to back out.

wd-40 is garbage.

[Weeze]

just thinking out loud, can the plate inside the cabinet be destoyed, allowing bolts to come out? just thinking

[Pinsanity]

To answer both questions. It's just the screw on the bottom of the legs so nothing needs to be destroyed hopefully  .

Not sure who the legs were installed by or who did the powder coating. I know it changed hands a couple times and Curly had to put a new populated PF in after some chipping I think from original owner. Don't know much else  other than it's stuck lol. I'll try that PB Blaster out see how it goes.

[k7]

the bottom bolt gets the workout when the games are moved on the legs around the home. as long as they went on right, they'll come off.
rough guess is they've been uninstalled 3 or 4 times already.   very few pinballs get transported with the legs on.

also don't use vice grips, you may damage the threads that still have to pass threw the leg bolt backplate. and on the bolt side, just a 5/8 socket.

did they powdercoat the bolts? that would be a new one to me, because you would add material to the threads, not good in theory.

stern doesn't powdercoat leg bolts. at least not on ones i've owned/own.

i've gotten 40 year old rusted legs off using pb blaster. on a TZ i had, someone has stripped out the plates, so an air socket
was needed to force the bolts out. that one got 4 new bolts and 2 new backplates.

[Pinsanity]

the bottom bolt gets the workout when the games are moved on the legs around the home. as long as they went on right, they'll come off.
rough guess is they've been uninstalled 3 or 4 times already.   very few pinballs get transported with the legs on.

also don't use vice grips, you may damage the threads that still have to pass threw the leg bolt backplate. and on the bolt side, just a 5/8 socket.

did they powdercoat the bolts? that would be a new one to me, because you would add material to the threads, not good in theory.

stern doesn't powdercoat leg bolts. at least not on ones i've owned/own.

i've gotten 40 year old rusted legs off using pb blaster. on a TZ i had, someone has stripped out the plates, so an air socket
was needed to force the bolts out. that one got 4 new bolts and 2 new backplates.

When i say the bottom I mean the one touching the ground that adjusts the height just to be clear. Wasn't sure if i was explaining that wrong. I'll go out an pick up a can tomorrow! Just need to get it down a few twists. Just one of those annoying things that you can live with but you notice it.

The bolt isn't powder coated. Although i have seen those before. My TWD has them but they still go in perfect.

[k7]

oh, i thought leg bolts, holding them to the cab. i was way off on my descriptions, then.

those are leg levelers. still go with pb blaster. but i've had 40 year old versions of those not come off.

deep socket on one side, if it fits, and wrench those suckers. good luck.

[Pinsanity]

oh, i thought leg bolts, holding them to the cab. i was way off on my descriptions, then.

those are leg levelers. still go with pb blaster. but i've had 40 year old versions of those not come off.

deep socket on one side, if it fits, and wrench those suckers. good luck.

My bad i was kinda vague. Yeah those are tough, will try it out and let you know. Thanks for the advice!

[FUNWIZ]

Is there a retaining nut holding the leg leveler preventing it from turning?  If not, you can also get 2 nuts and screw on back to back, and force the leveler to move using the back nut. 

[Pinsanity]

Is there a retaining nut holding the leg leveler preventing it from turning?  If not, you can also get 2 nuts and screw on back to back, and force the leveler to move using the back nut.

Nothing extra, no extra nut holding. It’s exactly the same as all my other powder coated legs that work this one just not budging. Problem is it’s all the way open so my game is the highest it can possibly be so no room to fit even 1 nut.


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[Rich Jax]

The nuts on leg levelers goes on the threaded portion of the leveler under the bottom of the leg, not over it.  The nut serves a dual purpose, it locks the leveler in place and helps support the weight of the game.  Without the nut, only the couple of threads in the leg are holding all the weight.  The threads through the nut distribute the weight more evenly.

[Pinsanity]

I’m probably not explaining it correctly. I’ll try to post some pics later tonight.


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[k7]

I’m probably not explaining it correctly. I’ll try to post some pics later tonight.


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i think i've got this part right. the leg leveler is screwed into the leg's thread. no locking nut used. most of my games are like that. 

and i'm guessing the foot cannot be used to unscrew it. the only thing i can add, is uses a set of channellocks, with the pb blaster soak method mentioned earlier.